The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-09-11
VIEWING THE STATE HOUSE
How the Hundreds of Daily Visitors to
the Building Conduct Themselves.
Some Wonder How it Could Be Built So
Cheaply. and Others Grumble About the
Cost-The Name Carving Nuisance.

Since he has been custodian of the Capitol
building Tim Griffin daily asks the question.
''Where do all the people come from" Tim has
a notion of their living somewhere, but the va
riety, compilations, styles, degrees and sizes,
mentally and physically, the things that per-
pick him. Tim is accustomed to numbers as
they pertain to population, for his four years
service in the army and his subsequent service
in helping the Democratic party has made him
familiar with crowds. 1t is only after a day
hard work in walking and over again the
long stretch of corridors, into rooms and out Of
rooms and even into the attic and dome of the
Capitol that he, as guide. has cause to wonder
where all the people come from. for to that
point of sightseeing they come in groups by
twenties and fifties, from early morning until
late in the evening. They want to see every
thing from the cellar to the top
of the immense building, and
custodian Griffin thinks the average man
needs watching we'll as instruction. he tries to
lead many of the parties he can. ut
won't do" said Tim the other day, 'to let the
visitors roam about the building without some
body to keep eye them. 1 can let them
60 and come as they please in the corridors, for
they can't carry off the marble pillars, but
when they want to see the Senate Chamber and
the House of Representatives somebody has to
be with them. / keep the doors of those places
locked. for if everybody could enter them as
they fit, the State would have to renew
the furniture every month. You never saw
such crowds of relic-hunters Not long ago a
lady so charmed with tine State parlor that
she almost worried the life out of Dick Herrlck
in pleading for piece of the curtains. She
wanted 1t for a crazy quilt"
How many people do you have in the Capitol
during the day2" he was asked.
az count on not less than 800. and then there
are days when they number 1900 or more They
come from all sections of the country, for nearly
all the visitors are strangers There was
party from Canada. not many days ago. another
from New York. and they were followed by two
three from Alabama. Illinois and Iowa peo-
pie were here to-day, and those from the East
numerous that to see them is no longer a
rarity. Nobody could come here without guess
at the cost, and nearly every one thinks 1t was
$4, 000. 600 or $5,O0o,0O0. When / tell
them that the house built
for 81 O0O 900, they astonished. Everybody
admires the building, and the ladies are delighted
with the rich furnishings. The relic hunter is a
nuisance but his weakness is nothing when [
have to watch the heathens and fools who want
to pick their names in the marble. or write 1t in
the dust that gathers on the desks and furniture.
/ can't keep the dust out this weather. Every
piece of furniture in the building is busted every
morning. but it does no good. In an hour after
wards it is just thick and the fool finds it
convenient for scratching his name and address.
A Fellow c01Dp60 MS name In q marble SlaO up
stairs. / think l will throw him from the dome
when get hold of him."
You no doubt meet many curious characters"
"Plentv of them. young fellow came here
the other day with his bride and what took his
fancy were the candle-shaped gas jets He want
ed to know how many candles 1t took to light the
building. He asked me to give him to take
home But his ignorance was as dense as his
as constituent was great when l told him they
were not candles. for he remarked it must take
a lot of matches to light em. When told that
1.~h@S IN ha dnVn hrv n1o r.n Nv ho
asked me what electricity was"
'Of course you gave him scientific explana-
tionl"
81 had other business just then, for tax
payer from Posey county demanded my atten-
ton. His interest confined to the cost Of
things. He came there to tell us about the
travagance of legislatures. Out of the thousands
who have examined the building he is the only
one who has growled about the cost. He a
with his coarse linen buster, thick boots
pants rolled up at the bottom and hat that
dated back before the He held with a
grip of iron his old-fashioned carpet-sack, and
strobe over the rich carpets as if he was among
the burrows of his field. My friend, sad
that mantei over there cost 500 He got mad
and berated the legislators. with every other
word an oath, 1t was better than circus to
have that honest old citizen around He
thought that 800, 900 capitol would have been
too costly, and proposed to donate the rest of
his life in securing reform legislators who
would take the burdens from tax payers, of
which he was one, he angrily repeated time and
again. When told him the desks in the Sen
ate and House cost $50 each be left in disgust
One afternoon was on the third floor when
Senate chamber. A young idiot, the
leader of a party of fifteen. among
whom were several ladies' was knocking at the
ioor, and crying out. where's the fellow that
attends to this went down, when the young
fellow who was showing off for the benefit of his
party said, I would like to know why these
loors are kept locked. Why amt they open?
am a taxpayer. and have a right to 60 in here.
" ny don't the State keep man here to open
he doors if they must be lockedP 1 opened the
.oor without a word and gave them ali the rope
hev wanted The ladies pulled all the curtains out
Ind then begged for pieces of the fringe. The
men sat in every chair in the room. and the
,oung taxi payer threw himself into the presiding
'fhcer's chair and began to pound like a lunatic
or order. After while they got tired of it all,
md they were going out said to the tax
PAYER: My friend. You want to know why we
,eep the doors locked did you askl It is on
.ccount of persons like you, who do not know
low to behave. If should leave such party
g you alone In the chamber, the chairs and
esks would be on the road to Kalamazoo, and
he curtains and fxings in Alabama, and some
,ody would try to get the building over into
canada. ~
common inquiry is made as to the location
f the dome II an inquirer is marked by any
pecial signs of stupidity he is told that il can
70 found on top of the house Everybody
wants TO 60 to the dome, but the privilege is
United, for il it was given indiscriminatey that
op OF the capitol would be constantly filled
nth people I'VE would have to pull them
own" said Griffin. 1t is a trying walk to the
op. one winds about the narrow spiral stair
ase. but the view of the city is worth the
rouble lady. eighty years of age, insisted
II going to the dome. She got there and did
OF seem to be much the worse for the exertion
equired of her. Under the dome the coored
lass is being placed. It begins in the largest
rcle with dark blue shade highly orna-
rented, while the next is trife lighter and less
And so the glass lightens in color
ntil near the center piece. which is almost
-ithort tint Above this to be tnirty-two |
as jets, and from the center of the same will
ang a chandelier of three hundred burners |
ne half of which will be for gas and the other |
Or incandescent lights.
A Woman of Fact.
Me- YorE